Football and fashion go hand in hand. In 2025, a footballer’s profile is equal parts talent on the pitch and fashion quotient.
A modern footballer doesn’t just have to play well, he also needs to be fashionable, have a great hairstyle, and wear the best clothes to look trendy and marketable.
But what about the referees?
A referee, one of the most integral yet overlooked parts of football, often has to toe the line of simplicity.
The rule of thumb in football states that a ref is good if you’re able to watch the game without noticing the ref.
Traditionally, a referee is just there to see that the game is being played fairly and that the rules are being followed.
To follow those traditions and prevent themselves from standing out, referees often choose to sport a simple hairstyle.
However, a League Two referee is breaking those rules.
Neil Hair, an English referee from Cambridgeshire, has been going viral due to his extremely loud and fashionable haircut.
Starting his journey in 2011, Neil Hair made his debut in the National League as he refereed the game between Nuneaton and Stalybridge.
Over the years, Hair has been plying his trade in the lower leagues, refereeing games in League Two, League One, and National League, as well as early rounds of FA Cup and League Cup. His biggest game to-date has been the 2017 National League Play-Off Final in 2017 between Forest Green Rovers and Tranmere Rovers.
Throughout his career, Neil Hair has been known to have a stylish hairstyle, often sporting medium-long hair with a middle parting ala Declan Rice.
Recently, he has had quite a change in his hairstyle, as seen in the League Two game between Gillingham and Cambridge United.
The ref, who has naturally black hair, is now sporting longer blonde hair in the pompadour hairstyle with a massive quiff at the front.
The Cambridge fans were quite unhappy with the ref, as not only was his haircut getting on their nerves, but he also gave a penalty against them in the 72nd minute.
After the game ended 1-1, Football Twitter was flooded with posts about the ref and his hairstyle.
Most of the fans did not enjoy the loud hairstyle, calling it “woke” and rejecting the notion that referees should have fashionable hairstyles.
@Denton_james: This haircut on a ref is utter woke nonsense
@daveflemm: There’s no way with a haircut like that he didn’t make the game all about him
@AdamRM1_: Neil hair, fucking s*** ref, hate the pompous tit, and of course his last name is hair
@JayRussell_9: Referees are supposed to be a bald Bollox with a beer belly. Simple.
@degsy380: It clearly got in the t***s eyes because he apparently guessed most of the decisions
@BantamSilver: Accrington v Bradford last season he just laughed while the players were wrestling each other
@StansburyDarren: Nope. Johnny Bravo syndrome. Wants the attention. When I was a kid watching games, grandad used to say to me – the best refs are the ones you do not notice. How right he was.
@ffsTeekay: My ex pe teacher, some barnet
@BurneyMac88: That’s what most Dutch tourists in Torremolinos and Mallorca used to look like in the late 90s and early 2000s.
@allmoshnopit: Feel like if you’re a ref and have a trim like that your just asking for it
Despite the haters, there were a few people who saw the light side of it and were cheering on Neil Hair for his hairstyle.
@sumsECFC: Hair by name, hair by nature
@CHAMM24: His dad did not have as much hair only right he should show his off.
@lxwispufc: Neil Hair slander will not be tolerated
@SirJimbob13: Looks like a Picasso
@MonsterHunch: Irony his name is Neil Hair
@Cliffinkent: We’ve had him a few times. My Mum calls him the Prince Charming ref
What do you think about referees having trendy hairstyles? Let us know in the comments section.
